Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wan Sian Lai. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Wan Sian, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Helping Miko redesign their website has been meaningful because I immensely enjoyed the process and cooperation with the client. Miko is a household goods product company based in New York, a startup with big ambitions. At the beginning of this project, the Miko team and I spent most of the time discussing how to utilize the current assets and optimize the current website. Even though there are limitations in budget and timeline, a fresh-looking and user-friendly website could still be achieved.

This is one of my first works for full service of art direction, design, and execution, so I appreciated the opportunity to take on this project. During the first couple of weeks, I put too much pressure on myself, which caused a waste of energy and time.
I learned that it’s impossible to produce quality work if I wouldn’t stop and reevaluate the design with the attitude of ease. Toward the end of the design process, I allowed myself to rest more and even focus on other projects. However, this increased my efficiency.

Finally, in the first stage of the redesign, the client and I were satisfied and surprised with the result. The website was designed to be more refined and elegant but maintained the soothing voice of Miko’s brand. In addition, the redesigned website won the GDUSA digital design award.

There is no doubt the website will need more revisions as the brand enlarges its scale in the future, but this is a big step and beginning for Miko to attract more of their customers to shop from their site and grow toward a more sophisticated brand. I’m glad to join this design journey and grow with them during the process.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Taiwanese graphic designer now based in Brooklyn, NYC. I started my design career in New York City in 2018. My work is diverse, from visual identities to digital design for brands and activities. I’m passionate about conceptualizing ideas and elevating user experience through graphics and motion.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I worked at Tory Burch as a full-time designer, I loved the team and environment and was thankful for the opportunity, but deep down in my heart, I knew a full-time role was not aligned with my passion. Moreover, I still have the desire to build my brand or business on my own, and I missed communicating and working with different clients directly. Although there might be a lot of obstacles, I was willing to take a chance and listened to my gut.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met my business partner through Instagram. I found it useful to meet with many talented creatives and even work with them. Although I found them on Instagram, I usually write emails to those I’m interested in because, in my opinion, it’s much more professional.    

Contact Info:

• Website: wansianlai.com
• Instagram: studiolai_nyc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wansianlai/